Oncogene-induced senescence represents a key tumor suppressive mechanism. Here, we show that Ras oncogene-induced senescence can be mediated by the recently identified haploinsufficient tumor suppressor apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP) 2 through a novel and p53/p19 Arf /p21 waf1/cip1 -independent pathway. ASPP2 suppresses Ras-induced small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-modified nuclear cyclin D1 and inhibits retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation. The lysine residue, K33, of cyclin D1 is a key site for this newly identified regulation. In agreement with the fact that its nuclear localization is required for its oncogenic activity, we show that nuclear cyclin D1 is far more potent than wild-type (WT) cyclin D1 in bypassing Ras-induced senescence. Thus, this study identifies SUMO modification as a positive regulator of nuclear cyclin D1, and reveals a new way by which cell cycle entry and senescence are regulated. Cell Death and Differentiation (2011) 18, 304-314; doi:10.1038/cdd.2010; published online 27 August 2010Cellular senescence is an irreversible cell cycle arrest and one of the major cellular processes that suppress tumor growth. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are among the main regulators of cellular senescence, predominantly achieved through their phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb), preventing it from binding and inhibiting the E2F family of transcription factors that are involved in cell cycle progression. Deregulation of CDK pathways is common in the development of human cancers. Amplification and overexpression of cyclin D1, a regulatory subunit of CDK4/CDK6, has been observed in around 50% of human breast and esophageal cancers. 1,2 Interestingly, however, elevation of cyclin D1 alone is not sufficient to induce tumor growth in vivo, 3,4 partly owing to the fact that the cyclin D1/CDK4 or cyclin D1/CDK6 complex needs to locate in the nucleus to phosphorylate Rb during S-phase to promote cell proliferation. 5,6 Nuclear export, coupled with ubiquitin-dependent destruction of cyclin D1 in the cytoplasm during S-phase, is one of the best known mechanisms of cyclin D1/CDK4 kinase activity control. Hence, nuclear accumulation of cyclin D1 may be a key mechanism by which cyclin D1 exerts its oncogenic effects. In agreement with this, overexpression of mutant cyclin D1 (D1T286A), defective in phosphorylation-mediated nuclear export and subsequent proteolysis, induces cell transformation in vitro and triggers B-cell lymphoma in vivo. 6,7 Furthermore, transgenic mice overexpressing the same mutant, driven by mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter (MMTV-D1T286A), developed mammary adenocarcinoma with a shorter latency relative to mice overexpressing wild-type (WT) cyclin D1 (MMTV-D1). 8 These observations support the notion that the subcellular localization of cyclin D1 is critical in controlling its tumorigenicity. Identifying the molecular mechanisms that regulate the nuclear localization of cyclin D1 is, therefore, vital for our better understanding of tumor development....